Articles | Volume 15, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2587-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2587-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
04 May 2018
Research article |
| 04 May 2018
| 04 May 2018
Functional trait responses to sediment deposition reduce macrofauna-mediated ecosystem functioning in an estuarine mudflat
Sebastiaan Mestdagh
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
Leila Bagaço
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ulrike Braeckman
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
Tom Ysebaert
Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands
Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC
Yerseke, the Netherlands
Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O.
Box 77, 4400 AB Yerseke, the Netherlands
Bart De Smet
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
present address: Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400
Oostende, Belgium
Tom Moens
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
Carl Van Colen
Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8,
9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Marius Buydens, Emil De Borger, Lorenz Meire, Samuel Bodé, Antonio Schirone, Karline Soetaert, Ann Vanreusel, and Ulrike Braeckman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-102, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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As the Greenland Ice Sheet retreats, it is important to understand how this impacts the carbon burial in Greenland fjords. By comparing a fjord with marine-terminating glaciers versus one fed by a land-terminating glacier, we see that the productive waters associated to marine-terminating glaciers not necessary lead to enhanced carbon burial. Instead, we highlight the complex interplay of physical, biological, and sedimentary processes that mediate carbon dynamics in these fjords.
Emil De Borger, Justin Tiano, Ulrike Braeckman, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, and Karline Soetaert
Biogeosciences, 18, 2539–2557, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2539-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2539-2021, 2021
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Bottom trawling alters benthic mineralization: the recycling of organic material (OM) to free nutrients. To better understand how this occurs, trawling events were added to a model of seafloor OM recycling. Results show that bottom trawling reduces OM and free nutrients in sediments through direct removal thereof and of fauna which transport OM to deeper sediment layers protected from fishing. Our results support temporospatial trawl restrictions to allow key sediment functions to recover.
Emil De Borger, Justin Tiano, Ulrike Braeckman, Tom Ysebaert, and Karline Soetaert
Biogeosciences, 17, 1701–1715, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1701-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1701-2020, 2020
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By applying a novel technique to quantify organism-induced sediment–water column fluid exchange (bioirrigation), we show that organisms in subtidal (permanently submerged) areas have similar bioirrigation rates as those that inhabit intertidal areas (not permanently submerged), but organisms in the latter irrigate deeper burrows in this study. Our results expand on traditional methods to quantify bioirrigation rates and broaden the pool of field measurements of bioirrigation rates.
Ulrike Braeckman, Felix Janssen, Gaute Lavik, Marcus Elvert, Hannah Marchant, Caroline Buckner, Christina Bienhold, and Frank Wenzhöfer
Biogeosciences, 15, 6537–6557, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, 2018
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Global warming has altered Arctic phytoplankton communities, with unknown effects on deep-sea communities that depend strongly on food produced at the surface. We compared the responses of Arctic deep-sea benthos to input of phytodetritus from diatoms and coccolithophorids. Coccolithophorid carbon was 5× less recycled than diatom carbon. The utilization of the coccolithophorid carbon may be less efficient, so a shift from diatom to coccolithophorid blooms could entail a delay in carbon cycling.
Ralf Hoffmann, Ulrike Braeckman, Christiane Hasemann, and Frank Wenzhöfer
Biogeosciences, 15, 4849–4869, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4849-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4849-2018, 2018
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Our study links surface sea-ice cover and benthic oxygen fluxes in the Fram Strait via primary production, food supply, benthic community, and their functions. We show that sea-ice cover and water depth are the most important factors influencing the ecosystem. However, in water depths > 1500 m, the effect of sea ice fades out. Further, we discuss primary production and benthic remineralization patterns and developed a potential scenario for the benthic remineralization in a future Arctic Ocean.
H. Brenner, U. Braeckman, M. Le Guitton, and F. J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 13, 841–863, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-841-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-841-2016, 2016
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Alkalinity released from sediments of the southern North Sea can play an important role in the carbon cycle of the North Sea by lowering the pCO2 of the seawater and thus increasing the CO2 flux between the atmosphere and the water. However, not every single mole alkalinity generated in sediments leads to an additional CO2 uptake, as certain reactions in the water column can negate the respective alkalinity release.
A.-M. Vafeiadou, P. Materatski, H. Adão, M. De Troch, and T. Moens
Biogeosciences, 11, 4001–4014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4001-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4001-2014, 2014
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Sedimentary ancient DNA insights into foraminiferal diversity near the grounding line in the western Ross Sea, Antarctica
Ideas and perspectives: How sediment archives can improve model projections of marine ecosystem change
Multispecies expression of coccolithophore vital effects with changing CO2 concentrations and pH in the laboratory with insights for reconstructing CO2 levels in geological history
The distribution and abundance of planktonic foraminifera under summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean
Biological response of eelgrass epifauna, Taylor's Sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), to elevated ocean alkalinity
Including the invisible: deep depth-integrated chlorophyll estimates from remote sensing may assist in identifying biologically important areas in oligotrophic coastal margins
Growth response of Emiliania huxleyi to ocean alkalinity enhancement
Phytoplankton adaptation to steady or changing environments affects marine ecosystem functioning
Characterizing regional oceanography and bottom environmental conditions at two contrasting sponge grounds on the northern Labrador Shelf
Reviews and Syntheses: Trait-based approach to constrain controls on planktic foraminiferal ecology: key trade-offs and current knowledge gaps
Seasonal foraging behavior of Weddell seals in relation to oceanographic environmental conditions in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Multifactorial effects of warming, low irradiance, and low salinity on Arctic kelps
Extraordinary bloom of toxin-producing phytoplankton enhanced by strong retention in offshore continental shelf waters
Early life stages of fish under ocean alkalinity enhancement in coastal plankton communities
Planktonic foraminifera assemblage composition and flux dynamics inferred from an annual sediment trap record in the central Mediterranean Sea
Reefal ostracod assemblages from the Zanzibar Archipelago (Tanzania)
Composite calcite and opal test in Foraminifera (Rhizaria)
Influence of oxygen minimum zone on macrobenthic community structure in the northern Benguela Upwelling System: a macro-nematode perspective
Simulated terrestrial runoff shifts the metabolic balance of a coastal Mediterranean plankton community towards heterotrophy
Contrasting carbon cycling in the benthic food webs between a river-fed, high-energy canyon and an upper continental slope
A critical trade-off between nitrogen quota and growth allows Coccolithus braarudii life cycle phases to exploit varying environment
Structural complexity and benthic metabolism: resolving the links between carbon cycling and biodiversity in restored seagrass meadows
Building your own mountain: the effects, limits, and drawbacks of cold-water coral ecosystem engineering
Phytoplankton response to increased nickel in the context of ocean alkalinity enhancement
Diversity and density relationships between lebensspuren and tracemaking organisms: a study case from abyssal northwest Pacific
Technical note: An autonomous flow-through salinity and temperature perturbation mesocosm system for multi-stressor experiments
Reviews and syntheses: The clam before the storm – a meta-analysis showing the effect of combined climate change stressors on bivalves
A step towards measuring connectivity in the deep sea: elemental fingerprints of mollusk larval shells discriminate hydrothermal vent sites
Spawner weight and ocean temperature drive Allee effect dynamics in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua: inherent and emergent density regulation
Bacterioplankton dark CO2 fixation in oligotrophic waters
The bottom mixed layer depth as an indicator of subsurface Chlorophyll a distribution
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Impact of deoxygenation and warming on global marine species in the 21st century
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Upwelled plankton community modulates surface bloom succession and nutrient availability in a natural plankton assemblage
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Early life stages of a Mediterranean coral are vulnerable to ocean warming and acidification
Mediterranean seagrasses as carbon sinks: methodological and regional differences
Contrasting vertical distributions of recent planktic foraminifera off Indonesia during the southeast monsoon: implications for paleoceanographic reconstructions
The onset of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the coastal North Sea supports the Disturbance Recovery Hypothesis
Species richness and functional attributes of fish assemblages across a large-scale salinity gradient in shallow coastal areas
Modeling the growth and sporulation dynamics of the macroalga Ulva in mixed-age populations in cultivation and the formation of green tides
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Modeling polar marine ecosystem functions guided by bacterial physiological and taxonomic traits
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Enhanced chlorophyll-a concentration in the wake of Sable Island, eastern Canada, revealed by two decades of satellite observations: a response to grey seal population dynamics?
Population dynamics and reproduction strategies of planktonic foraminifera in the open ocean
Ewa Demianiuk, Mateusz Baca, Danijela Popović, Inès Barrenechea Angeles, Ngoc-Loi Nguyen, Jan Pawlowski, John B. Anderson, and Wojciech Majewski
Biogeosciences, 22, 2601–2620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2601-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2601-2025, 2025
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Ancient foraminiferal DNA is studied in five Antarctic cores with sediments up to 25 kyr old. We use a standard and a new, more effective marker, which may become the next standard for paleoenvironmental studies. Much less diverse foraminifera occur on slopes of submarine moraines than in open-marine settings. Soft-walled foraminifera, not found in the fossil record, are especially abundant. There is no foraminiferal DNA in tills, suggesting its destruction during glacial redeposition.
Isabell Hochfeld, Ben A. Ward, Anke Kremp, Juliane Romahn, Alexandra Schmidt, Miklós Bálint, Lutz Becks, Jérôme Kaiser, Helge W. Arz, Sarah Bolius, Laura S. Epp, Markus Pfenninger, Christopher A. Klausmeier, Elena Litchman, and Jana Hinners
Biogeosciences, 22, 2363–2380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2363-2025, 2025
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Marine ecosystem models (MEMs) are valuable for assessing the threats of global warming to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but their predictions vary widely. We argue that MEMs should consider evolutionary processes and undergo independent validation. Here, we present a novel framework for MEM development using validation data from sediment archives, which map long-term environmental and evolutionary change. Our approach is a crucial step towards improving the predictive power of MEMs.
Goulwen Le Guevel, Fabrice Minoletti, Carla Geisen, Gwendoline Duong, Virginia Rojas, and Michaël Hermoso
Biogeosciences, 22, 2287–2308, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2287-2025, 2025
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This study explores the impact of environmental conditions on the chemistry of coccoliths, calcite minerals produced by marine algae, to better understand past climate changes. By cultivating different species of coccolithophores under various CO2 and pH levels, we have shown that the isotopic composition of certain species varies with CO2 concentration and quantified these variations.
Flor Vermassen, Clare Bird, Tirza M. Weitkamp, Kate F. Darling, Hanna Farnelid, Céline Heuzé, Allison Y. Hsiang, Salar Karam, Christian Stranne, Marcus Sundbom, and Helen K. Coxall
Biogeosciences, 22, 2261–2286, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2261-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2261-2025, 2025
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We provide the first systematic survey of planktonic foraminifera in the high Arctic Ocean. Our results describe the abundance and species composition under summer sea ice. They indicate that the polar specialist N. pachyderma is the only species present, with subpolar species absent. The data set will be a valuable reference for continued monitoring of the state of planktonic foraminifera communities as they respond to the ongoing sea-ice decline and the “Atlantification” of the Arctic Ocean.
Kristin Jones, Lenaïg G. Hemery, Nicholas D. Ward, Peter J. Regier, Mallory C. Ringham, and Matthew D. Eisaman
Biogeosciences, 22, 1615–1630, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1615-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1615-2025, 2025
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Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a marine carbon dioxide removal method that aims to mitigate the effects of climate change. This method causes localized increases in ocean pH, but the biological impacts of such changes are not well known. Our study investigated the response of two nearshore invertebrate species to increased pH and found the sea hare to be sensitive to pH changes, whereas the isopod was more resilient. Understanding interactions with biology is important as this field expands.
Renée P. Schoeman, Christine Erbe, and Robert D. McCauley
Biogeosciences, 22, 959–974, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-959-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-959-2025, 2025
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Marine habitat models do not include deep chlorophyll maxima, which may support higher trophic level foraging in (meso-)oligotrophic habitats. We used ocean glider data to show that chlorophyll maxima form off Western Australia in September–April. At least 50 % were biomass maxima, likely supporting local krill growing sufficiently for whale consumption. We suggest including deep chlorophyll maxima in marine habitat models as deep depth-integrated estimates from satellite-derived surface values.
Giulia Faucher, Mathias Haunost, Allanah Joy Paul, Anne Ulrike Christiane Tietz, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 22, 405–415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-405-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-405-2025, 2025
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Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is being evaluated for its capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2 in the ocean and store it long term to mitigate climate change. As researchers plan for field tests to gain insights into OAE, sharing knowledge on its environmental impact on marine ecosystems is urgent. Our study examined NaOH-induced OAE in Emiliania huxleyi, a key coccolithophore species, and found that the added total alkalinity (ΔTA) should stay below 600 µmol kg⁻¹ to avoid negative impacts.
Isabell Hochfeld and Jana Hinners
Biogeosciences, 21, 5591–5611, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5591-2024, 2024
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Ecosystem models disagree on future changes in marine ecosystem functioning. We suspect that the lack of phytoplankton adaptation represents a major uncertainty factor, given the key role that phytoplankton play in marine ecosystems. Using an evolutionary ecosystem model, we found that phytoplankton adaptation can notably change simulated ecosystem dynamics. Future models should include phytoplankton adaptation; otherwise they can systematically overestimate future ecosystem-level changes.
Evert de Froe, Igor Yashayaev, Christian Mohn, Johanne Vad, Furu Mienis, Gerard Duineveld, Ellen Kenchington, Erica Head, Steve W. Ross, Sabena Blackbird, George A. Wolff, J. Murray Roberts, Barry MacDonald, Graham Tulloch, and Dick van Oevelen
Biogeosciences, 21, 5407–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5407-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5407-2024, 2024
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Deep-sea sponge grounds are distributed globally and are considered hotspots of biological diversity and biogeochemical cycling. To date, little is known about the environmental constraints that control where deep-sea sponge grounds occur and what conditions favour high sponge biomass. Here, we characterize oceanographic conditions at two contrasting sponge grounds. Our results imply that sponges and associated fauna benefit from strong tidal currents and favourable regional ocean currents.
Kirsty Marie Edgar, Maria Grigoratou, Fanny Monteiro, Ruby Barrett, Rui Ying, and Daniela Schmidt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3295, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3295, 2024
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Planktic foraminifera are microscopic marine organisms whose calcium carbonate shells provide valuable insights into past ocean conditions. A promising means of understanding foraminiferal ecology and their environmental interactions is to constrain their key functional traits relating to feeding, symbioses, motility, calcification and reproduction. Here we review what we know of their functional traits, key gaps in our understanding and suggestions on how to fill them.
Hyunjae Chung, Jikang Park, Mijin Park, Yejin Kim, Unyoung Chun, Sukyoung Yun, Won Sang Lee, Hyun A. Choi, Ji Sung Na, Seung-Tae Yoon, and Won Young Lee
Biogeosciences, 21, 5199–5217, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5199-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5199-2024, 2024
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Understanding how marine animals adapt to variations in marine environmental conditions is paramount. In this paper, we investigated the influence of changes in seawater and light conditions on the seasonal foraging behavior of Weddell seals in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Our findings could serve as a baseline and establish a foundational understanding for future research, particularly concerning the impact of marine environmental changes on the ecosystem of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.
Anaïs Lebrun, Cale A. Miller, Marc Meynadier, Steeve Comeau, Pierre Urrutti, Samir Alliouane, Robert Schlegel, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 21, 4605–4620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4605-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4605-2024, 2024
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We tested the effects of warming, low salinity, and low irradiance on Arctic kelps. We show that growth rates were similar across species and treatments. Alaria esculenta is adapted to low-light conditions. Saccharina latissima exhibited nitrogen limitation, suggesting coastal erosion and permafrost thawing could be beneficial. Laminaria digitata did not respond to the treatments. Gene expression of Hedophyllum nigripes and S. latissima indicated acclimation to the experimental treatments.
Valeria Ana Guinder, Urban Tillmann, Martin Rivarossa, Carola Ferronato, Fernando Javier Ramirez, Bernd Krock, Haifeng Gu, and Martin Saraceno
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3157, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3157, 2024
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An unusual survey involving two vessels in the Argentine Sea over a ten-day period enabled synoptic observations of a significant bloom of toxic phytoplankton. Simultaneous species characterization of the bloom, along with measurements of surface currents and fronts, provided insights into its development and retention. Interdisciplinary approaches shed light on the biophysical coupling underlying the persistence and horizontal transport of harmful algal blooms in productive marine environments.
Silvan Urs Goldenberg, Ulf Riebesell, Daniel Brüggemann, Gregor Börner, Michael Sswat, Arild Folkvord, Maria Couret, Synne Spjelkavik, Nicolás Sánchez, Cornelia Jaspers, and Marta Moyano
Biogeosciences, 21, 4521–4532, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4521-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4521-2024, 2024
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Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is being evaluated as a carbon dioxide removal technology for climate change mitigation. With an experiment on species communities, we show that larval and juvenile fish can be resilient to the resulting perturbation of seawater. Fish may hence recruit successfully and continue to support fisheries' production in regions of OAE. Our findings help to establish an environmentally safe operating space for this ocean-based solution.
Thibauld M. Béjard, Andrés S. Rigual-Hernández, Javier P. Tarruella, José-Abel Flores, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Irene Llamas-Cano, and Francisco J. Sierro
Biogeosciences, 21, 4051–4076, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4051-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4051-2024, 2024
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The Mediterranean Sea is regarded as a climate change hotspot. Documenting the population of planktonic foraminifera is crucial. In the Sicily Channel, fluxes are higher during winter and positively linked with chlorophyll a concentration and cool temperatures. A comparison with other Mediterranean sites shows the transitional aspect of the studied zone. Finally, modern populations significantly differ from those in the sediment, highlighting a possible effect of environmental change.
Skye Yunshu Tian, Martin Langer, Moriaki Yasuhara, and Chih-Lin Wei
Biogeosciences, 21, 3523–3536, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3523-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3523-2024, 2024
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Through the first large-scale study of meiobenthic ostracods from the diverse and productive reef ecosystem in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania, we found that the diversity and composition of ostracod assemblages as controlled by benthic habitats and human impacts were indicative of overall reef health, and we highlighted the usefulness of ostracods as a model proxy to monitor and understand the degradation of reef ecosystems from the coral-dominated phase to the algae-dominated phase.
Julien Richirt, Satoshi Okada, Yoshiyuki Ishitani, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Akihiro Tame, Kaya Oda, Noriyuki Isobe, Toyoho Ishimura, Masashi Tsuchiya, and Hidetaka Nomaki
Biogeosciences, 21, 3271–3288, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3271-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3271-2024, 2024
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We report the first benthic foraminifera with a composite test (i.e. shell) made of opal, which coats the inner part of the calcitic layer. Using comprehensive techniques, we describe the morphology and the composition of this novel opal layer and provide evidence that the opal is precipitated by the foraminifera itself. We explore the potential precipitation process and function(s) of this composite test and further discuss the possible implications for palaeoceanographic reconstructions.
Said Mohamed Hashim, Beth Wangui Waweru, and Agnes Muthumbi
Biogeosciences, 21, 2995–3006, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2995-2024, 2024
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The study investigates the impact of decreasing oxygen in the ocean on macrofaunal communities using the BUS as an example. It identifies distinct shifts in community composition and feeding guilds across oxygen zones, with nematodes dominating dysoxic areas. These findings underscore the complex responses of benthic organisms to oxygen gradients, crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics in hypoxic environments and their implications for marine biodiversity and sustainability.
Tanguy Soulié, Francesca Vidussi, Justine Courboulès, Marie Heydon, Sébastien Mas, Florian Voron, Carolina Cantoni, Fabien Joux, and Behzad Mostajir
Biogeosciences, 21, 1887–1902, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1887-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1887-2024, 2024
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Due to climate change, it is projected that extreme rainfall events, which bring terrestrial matter into coastal seas, will occur more frequently in the Mediterranean region. To test the effects of runoffs of terrestrial matter on plankton communities from Mediterranean coastal waters, an in situ mesocosm experiment was conducted. The simulated runoff affected key processes mediated by plankton, such as primary production and respiration, suggesting major consequences of such events.
Chueh-Chen Tung, Yu-Shih Lin, Jian-Xiang Liao, Tzu-Hsuan Tu, James T. Liu, Li-Hung Lin, Pei-Ling Wang, and Chih-Lin Wei
Biogeosciences, 21, 1729–1756, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1729-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1729-2024, 2024
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This study contrasts seabed food webs between a river-fed, high-energy canyon and the nearby slope. We show higher organic carbon (OC) flows through the canyon than the slope. Bacteria dominated the canyon, while seabed fauna contributed more to the slope food web. Due to frequent perturbation, the canyon had a lower faunal stock and OC recycling. Only 4 % of the seabed OC flux enters the canyon food web, suggesting a significant role of the river-fed canyon in transporting OC to the deep sea.
Joost de Vries, Fanny Monteiro, Gerald Langer, Colin Brownlee, and Glen Wheeler
Biogeosciences, 21, 1707–1727, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1707-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1707-2024, 2024
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Calcifying phytoplankton (coccolithophores) utilize a life cycle in which they can grow and divide into two different phases. These two phases (HET and HOL) vary in terms of their physiology and distributions, with many unknowns about what the key differences are. Using a combination of lab experiments and model simulations, we find that nutrient storage is a critical difference between the two phases and that this difference allows them to inhabit different nitrogen input regimes.
Theodor Kindeberg, Karl Michael Attard, Jana Hüller, Julia Müller, Cintia Organo Quintana, and Eduardo Infantes
Biogeosciences, 21, 1685–1705, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1685-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1685-2024, 2024
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Seagrass meadows are hotspots for biodiversity and productivity, and planting seagrass is proposed as a tool for mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change. We assessed seagrass planted in different years and found that benthic oxygen and carbon fluxes increased as the seabed developed from bare sediments to a mature seagrass meadow. This increase was partly linked to the diversity of colonizing algae which increased the light-use efficiency of the seagrass meadow community.
Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Sandra R. Maier, Siluo Chen, Laurence H. De Clippele, Evert de Froe, Theo Gerkema, Johan van de Koppel, Furu Mienis, Christian Mohn, Max Rietkerk, Karline Soetaert, and Dick van Oevelen
Biogeosciences, 21, 973–992, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-973-2024, 2024
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Combining hydrodynamic simulations and annotated videos, we separated which hydrodynamic variables that determine reef cover are engineered by cold-water corals and which are not. Around coral mounds, hydrodynamic zones seem to create a typical reef zonation, restricting corals from moving deeper (the expected response to climate warming). But non-engineered downward velocities in winter (e.g. deep winter mixing) seem more important for coral reef growth than coral engineering.
Xiaoke Xin, Giulia Faucher, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 21, 761–772, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-761-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-761-2024, 2024
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Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a promising approach to remove CO2 by accelerating natural rock weathering. However, some of the alkaline substances contain trace metals which could be toxic to marine life. By exposing three representative phytoplankton species to Ni released from alkaline materials, we observed varying responses of phytoplankton to nickel concentrations, suggesting caution should be taken and toxic thresholds should be avoided in OAE with Ni-rich materials.
Olmo Miguez-Salas, Angelika Brandt, Henry Knauber, and Torben Riehl
Biogeosciences, 21, 641–655, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-641-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-641-2024, 2024
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In the deep sea, the interaction between benthic fauna (tracemakers) and substrate can be preserved as traces (i.e. lebensspuren), which are common features of seafloor landscapes, rendering them promising proxies for inferring biodiversity from marine images. No general correlation was observed between traces and benthic fauna. However, a local correlation was observed between specific stations depending on unknown tracemakers, tracemaker behaviour, and lebensspuren morphotypes.
Cale A. Miller, Pierre Urrutti, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Steeve Comeau, Anaïs Lebrun, Samir Alliouane, Robert W. Schlegel, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 21, 315–333, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-315-2024, 2024
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This work describes an experimental system that can replicate and manipulate environmental conditions in marine or aquatic systems. Here, we show how the temperature and salinity of seawater delivered from a fjord is manipulated to experimental tanks on land. By constantly monitoring temperature and salinity in each tank via a computer program, the system continuously adjusts automated flow valves to ensure the seawater in each tank matches the targeted experimental conditions.
Rachel A. Kruft Welton, George Hoppit, Daniela N. Schmidt, James D. Witts, and Benjamin C. Moon
Biogeosciences, 21, 223–239, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-223-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-223-2024, 2024
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We conducted a meta-analysis of known experimental literature examining how marine bivalve growth rates respond to climate change. Growth is usually negatively impacted by climate change. Bivalve eggs/larva are generally more vulnerable than either juveniles or adults. Available data on the bivalve response to climate stressors are biased towards early growth stages (commercially important in the Global North), and many families have only single experiments examining climate change impacts.
Vincent Mouchi, Christophe Pecheyran, Fanny Claverie, Cécile Cathalot, Marjolaine Matabos, Yoan Germain, Olivier Rouxel, Didier Jollivet, Thomas Broquet, and Thierry Comtet
Biogeosciences, 21, 145–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-145-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-145-2024, 2024
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The impact of deep-sea mining will depend critically on the ability of larval dispersal of hydrothermal mollusks to connect and replenish natural populations. However, assessing connectivity is extremely challenging, especially in the deep sea. Here, we investigate the potential of using the chemical composition of larval shells to discriminate larval origins between multiple hydrothermal sites in the southwest Pacific. Our results confirm that this method can be applied with high accuracy.
Anna-Marie Winter, Nadezda Vasilyeva, and Artem Vladimirov
Biogeosciences, 20, 3683–3716, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3683-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3683-2023, 2023
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There is an increasing number of fish in poor state, and many do not recover, even when fishing pressure is ceased. An Allee effect can hinder population recovery because it suppresses the fish's productivity at low abundance. With a model fitted to 17 Atlantic cod stocks, we find that ocean warming and fishing can cause an Allee effect. If present, the Allee effect hinders fish recovery. This shows that Allee effects are dynamic, not uncommon, and calls for precautionary management measures.
Afrah Alothman, Daffne López-Sandoval, Carlos M. Duarte, and Susana Agustí
Biogeosciences, 20, 3613–3624, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3613-2023, 2023
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This study investigates bacterial dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fixation in the Red Sea, an oligotrophic ecosystem, using stable-isotope labeling and spectroscopy. The research reveals that bacterial DIC fixation significantly contributes to total DIC fixation, in the surface and deep water. The study demonstrates that as primary production decreases, the role of bacterial DIC fixation increases, emphasizing its importance with photosynthesis in estimating oceanic carbon dioxide production.
Arianna Zampollo, Thomas Cornulier, Rory O'Hara Murray, Jacqueline Fiona Tweddle, James Dunning, and Beth E. Scott
Biogeosciences, 20, 3593–3611, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3593-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3593-2023, 2023
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This paper highlights the use of the bottom mixed layer depth (BMLD: depth between the end of the pycnocline and the mixed layer below) to investigate subsurface Chlorophyll a (a proxy of primary production) in temperate stratified shelf waters. The strict correlation between subsurface Chl a and BMLD becomes relevant in shelf-productive waters where multiple stressors (e.g. offshore infrastructure) will change the stratification--mixing balance and related carbon fluxes.
Marco Fusi, Sylvain Rigaud, Giovanna Guadagnin, Alberto Barausse, Ramona Marasco, Daniele Daffonchio, Julie Régis, Louison Huchet, Capucine Camin, Laura Pettit, Cristina Vina-Herbon, and Folco Giomi
Biogeosciences, 20, 3509–3521, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3509-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3509-2023, 2023
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Oxygen availability in marine water and freshwater is very variable at daily and seasonal scales. The dynamic nature of oxygen fluctuations has important consequences for animal and microbe physiology and ecology, yet it is not fully understood. In this paper, we showed the heterogeneous nature of the aquatic oxygen landscape, which we defined here as the
oxyscape, and we addressed the importance of considering the oxyscape in the modelling and managing of aquatic ecosystems.
Anne L. Morée, Tayler M. Clarke, William W. L. Cheung, and Thomas L. Frölicher
Biogeosciences, 20, 2425–2454, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2425-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2425-2023, 2023
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Ocean temperature and oxygen shape marine habitats together with species’ characteristics. We calculated the impacts of projected 21st-century warming and oxygen loss on the contemporary habitat volume of 47 marine species and described the drivers of these impacts. Most species lose less than 5 % of their habitat at 2 °C of global warming, but some species incur losses 2–3 times greater than that. We also calculate which species may be most vulnerable to climate change and why this is the case.
Markus A. Min, David M. Needham, Sebastian Sudek, Nathan Kobun Truelove, Kathleen J. Pitz, Gabriela M. Chavez, Camille Poirier, Bente Gardeler, Elisabeth von der Esch, Andrea Ludwig, Ulf Riebesell, Alexandra Z. Worden, and Francisco P. Chavez
Biogeosciences, 20, 1277–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1277-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1277-2023, 2023
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Emerging molecular methods provide new ways of understanding how marine communities respond to changes in ocean conditions. Here, environmental DNA was used to track the temporal evolution of biological communities in the Peruvian coastal upwelling system and in an adjacent enclosure where upwelling was simulated. We found that the two communities quickly diverged, with the open ocean being one found during upwelling and the enclosure evolving to one found under stratified conditions.
Wojciech Majewski, Witold Szczuciński, and Andrew J. Gooday
Biogeosciences, 20, 523–544, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-523-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-523-2023, 2023
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We studied foraminifera living in the fjords of South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island sensitive to climate change. As conditions in water and on the seafloor vary, different associations of these microorganisms dominate far inside, in the middle, and near fjord openings. Assemblages in inner and middle parts of fjords are specific to South Georgia, but they may become widespread with anticipated warming. These results are important for interpretating fossil records and monitoring future change.
Allanah Joy Paul, Lennart Thomas Bach, Javier Arístegui, Elisabeth von der Esch, Nauzet Hernández-Hernández, Jonna Piiparinen, Laura Ramajo, Kristian Spilling, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 19, 5911–5926, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5911-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5911-2022, 2022
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We investigated how different deep water chemistry and biology modulate the response of surface phytoplankton communities to upwelling in the Peruvian coastal zone. Our results show that the most influential drivers were the ratio of inorganic nutrients (N : P) and the microbial community present in upwelling source water. These led to unexpected and variable development in the phytoplankton assemblage that could not be predicted by the amount of inorganic nutrients alone.
Hanna M. Kauko, Philipp Assmy, Ilka Peeken, Magdalena Różańska-Pluta, Józef M. Wiktor, Gunnar Bratbak, Asmita Singh, Thomas J. Ryan-Keogh, and Sebastien Moreau
Biogeosciences, 19, 5449–5482, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5449-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5449-2022, 2022
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This article studies phytoplankton (microscopic
plantsin the ocean capable of photosynthesis) in Kong Håkon VII Hav in the Southern Ocean. Different species play different roles in the ecosystem, and it is therefore important to assess the species composition. We observed that phytoplankton blooms in this area are formed by large diatoms with strong silica armors, which can lead to high silica (and sometimes carbon) export to depth and be important prey for krill.
Chloe Carbonne, Steeve Comeau, Phoebe T. W. Chan, Keyla Plichon, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Núria Teixidó
Biogeosciences, 19, 4767–4777, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4767-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4767-2022, 2022
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For the first time, our study highlights the synergistic effects of a 9-month warming and acidification combined stress on the early life stages of a Mediterranean azooxanthellate coral, Astroides calycularis. Our results predict a decrease in dispersion, settlement, post-settlement linear extention, budding and survival under future global change and that larvae and recruits of A. calycularis are stages of interest for this Mediterranean coral resistance, resilience and conservation.
Iris E. Hendriks, Anna Escolano-Moltó, Susana Flecha, Raquel Vaquer-Sunyer, Marlene Wesselmann, and Núria Marbà
Biogeosciences, 19, 4619–4637, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4619-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4619-2022, 2022
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Seagrasses are marine plants with the capacity to act as carbon sinks due to their high primary productivity, using carbon for growth. This capacity can play a key role in climate change mitigation. We compiled and published data showing that two Mediterranean seagrass species have different metabolic rates, while the study method influences the rates of the measurements. Most communities act as carbon sinks, while the western basin might be more productive than the eastern Mediterranean.
Raúl Tapia, Sze Ling Ho, Hui-Yu Wang, Jeroen Groeneveld, and Mahyar Mohtadi
Biogeosciences, 19, 3185–3208, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3185-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3185-2022, 2022
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We report census counts of planktic foraminifera in depth-stratified plankton net samples off Indonesia. Our results show that the vertical distribution of foraminifera species routinely used in paleoceanographic reconstructions varies in hydrographically distinct regions, likely in response to food availability. Consequently, the thermal gradient based on mixed layer and thermocline dwellers also differs for these regions, suggesting potential implications for paleoceanographic reconstructions.
Ricardo González-Gil, Neil S. Banas, Eileen Bresnan, and Michael R. Heath
Biogeosciences, 19, 2417–2426, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2417-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2417-2022, 2022
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In oceanic waters, the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in winter, when light still limits growth, is attributed to a decrease in grazing as the mixed layer deepens. However, in coastal areas, it is not clear whether winter biomass can accumulate without this deepening. Using 21 years of weekly data, we found that in the Scottish coastal North Sea, the seasonal increase in light availability triggers the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in winter, when light limitation is strongest.
Birgit Koehler, Mårten Erlandsson, Martin Karlsson, and Lena Bergström
Biogeosciences, 19, 2295–2312, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2295-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2295-2022, 2022
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Understanding species richness patterns remains a challenge for biodiversity management. We estimated fish species richness over a coastal salinity gradient (3–32) with a method that allowed comparing data from various sources. Species richness was 3-fold higher at high vs. low salinity, and salinity influenced species’ habitat preference, mobility and feeding type. If climate change causes upper-layer freshening of the Baltic Sea, further shifts along the identified patterns may be expected.
Uri Obolski, Thomas Wichard, Alvaro Israel, Alexander Golberg, and Alexander Liberzon
Biogeosciences, 19, 2263–2271, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2263-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2263-2022, 2022
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The algal genus Ulva plays a major role in coastal ecosystems worldwide and is a promising prospect as an seagriculture crop. A substantial hindrance to cultivating Ulva arises from sudden sporulation, leading to biomass loss. This process is not yet well understood. Here, we characterize the dynamics of Ulva growth, considering the potential impact of sporulation inhibitors, using a mathematical model. Our findings are an essential step towards understanding the dynamics of Ulva growth.
Emanuela Fanelli, Samuele Menicucci, Sara Malavolti, Andrea De Felice, and Iole Leonori
Biogeosciences, 19, 1833–1851, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1833-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1833-2022, 2022
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Zooplankton play a key role in marine ecosystems, forming the base of the marine food web and a link between primary producers and higher-order consumers, such as fish. This aspect is crucial in the Adriatic basin, one of the most productive and overexploited areas of the Mediterranean Sea. A better understanding of community and food web structure and their response to water mass changes is essential under a global warming scenario, as zooplankton are sensitive to climate change.
Masaya Yoshikai, Takashi Nakamura, Rempei Suwa, Sahadev Sharma, Rene Rollon, Jun Yasuoka, Ryohei Egawa, and Kazuo Nadaoka
Biogeosciences, 19, 1813–1832, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1813-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1813-2022, 2022
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This study presents a new individual-based vegetation model to investigate salinity control on mangrove productivity. The model incorporates plant hydraulics and tree competition and predicts unique and complex patterns of mangrove forest structures that vary across soil salinity gradients. The presented model does not hold an empirical expression of salinity influence on productivity and thus may provide a better understanding of mangrove forest dynamics in future climate change.
Coulson A. Lantz, William Leggat, Jessica L. Bergman, Alexander Fordyce, Charlotte Page, Thomas Mesaglio, and Tracy D. Ainsworth
Biogeosciences, 19, 891–906, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-891-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-891-2022, 2022
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Coral bleaching events continue to drive the degradation of coral reefs worldwide. In this study we measured rates of daytime coral reef community calcification and photosynthesis during a reef-wide bleaching event. Despite a measured decline in coral health across several taxa, there was no change in overall daytime community calcification and photosynthesis. These findings highlight potential limitations of these community-level metrics to reflect actual changes in coral health.
Hyewon Heather Kim, Jeff S. Bowman, Ya-Wei Luo, Hugh W. Ducklow, Oscar M. Schofield, Deborah K. Steinberg, and Scott C. Doney
Biogeosciences, 19, 117–136, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-117-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-117-2022, 2022
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Heterotrophic marine bacteria are tiny organisms responsible for taking up organic matter in the ocean. Using a modeling approach, this study shows that characteristics (taxonomy and physiology) of bacteria are associated with a subset of ecological processes in the coastal West Antarctic Peninsula region, a system susceptible to global climate change. This study also suggests that bacteria will become more active, in particular large-sized cells, in response to changing climates in the region.
Alice E. Webb, Didier M. de Bakker, Karline Soetaert, Tamara da Costa, Steven M. A. C. van Heuven, Fleur C. van Duyl, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Lennart J. de Nooijer
Biogeosciences, 18, 6501–6516, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6501-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6501-2021, 2021
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The biogeochemical behaviour of shallow reef communities is quantified to better understand the impact of habitat degradation and species composition shifts on reef functioning. The reef communities investigated barely support reef functions that are usually ascribed to conventional coral reefs, and the overall biogeochemical behaviour is found to be similar regardless of substrate type. This suggests a decrease in functional diversity which may therefore limit services provided by this reef.
Emmanuel Devred, Andrea Hilborn, and Cornelia Elizabeth den Heyer
Biogeosciences, 18, 6115–6132, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6115-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6115-2021, 2021
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A theoretical model of grey seal seasonal abundance on Sable Island (SI) coupled with chlorophyll-a concentration [chl-a] measured by satellite revealed the impact of seal nitrogen fertilization on the surrounding waters of SI, Canada. The increase in seals from about 100 000 in 2003 to about 360 000 in 2018 during the breeding season is consistent with an increase in [chl-a] leeward of SI. The increase in seal abundance explains 8 % of the [chl-a] increase.
Julie Meilland, Michael Siccha, Maike Kaffenberger, Jelle Bijma, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 18, 5789–5809, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5789-2021, 2021
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Planktonic foraminifera population dynamics has long been assumed to be controlled by synchronous reproduction and ontogenetic vertical migration (OVM). Due to contradictory observations, this concept became controversial. We here test it in the Atlantic ocean for four species of foraminifera representing the main clades. Our observations support the existence of synchronised reproduction and OVM but show that more than half of the population does not follow the canonical trajectory.
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Short summary
We studied how invertebrate communities of mudflats are affected by sudden deposition of sediment. We applied sediment layers of different thickness to mudflat communities and studied how their densities, diversity, and behaviour and the exchange of oxygen between the bottom and the water column changed. We found that some species easily diminish in numbers, while others become more active after deposition. The interaction of all species effects influences the environment, i.e. oxygen exchange.
We studied how invertebrate communities of mudflats are affected by sudden deposition of...
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